Singer-songwriter Lili Trifillio, better known as Beach Bunny, has been sending infectious waves of her surf-pop sound throughout Chicago for nearly two years. Currently a sophomore at DePaul, Beach Bunny’s love of music began when she picked up a guitar in the 5th grade. “Music has always been present in my life,” said Beach Bunny. “For a while, I was in an indie girl duo called fingers x crossed. However, as time passed, Beach Bunny evolved into a solo project in 2015.”

Her first release, ANIMALISM, came out in December of 2015 and draws heavily from female inspirations such as Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast and Molly Rankin of Alvvays. In my opinion, the standout track of the EP is “6 Weeks” due to its powerful chorus. By varying the chorus during the song’s outro, Beach Bunny shows off her impressive vocal range and ability. Heartbreak is an overarching theme of the EP, but the singer also gives credit to her friends in groups Oceans & Oceans and Home Burial for encouraging and inspiring her as both an artist and an individual.

Beach Bunny next followed up with Pool Party, which was released late last summer and is filled to the brim with sunny surf vibes. This 5-track EP features her smooth, rich vocals paired with dainty, melodic guitar lines. My personal favorites from this release are the opening track, “July,” and the fourth track, “Ghost.” “July” sets the tone for the EP with lyrics that reminisce about memorable summer moments. On the other hand, I enjoy “Ghost” because the vocals are passionate, compelling, and cover a larger range than the rest of the songs on the EP. Pool Party is the perfect soundtrack for spring; it's great for coping with Chicago's wintery March while simultaneously paving the way for summer 2017, which happens to be when Beach Bunny will be releasing her next EP, Crybaby.

While the lyrical content, drawn both from heartbreak and inspiration from her friends, will be similar to her past releases, the young singer promises Crybaby will be a step above her previous releases in terms of quality and sound. Beach Bunny describes the sound of her upcoming EP as “the feeling you get when ice cream melts.” As of now, Crybaby is set to be released on June 1st.

If you’d like to hear her surf sound live, Beach Bunny will be preforming at a variety of Chicago venues over the course of the next few months. Be sure to catch her at the Greenhouse on April 1st at 8 pm, and later that night at Prismatic at 9 pm. She will also be appearing at Sidestreet on April 21st at 6:30 pm, at The Drunken Donut in Joliet, IL at 7:40 pm, and at the DePaul Lounge on May 11th.